Upaniṣads · Praśna 1
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Praśna 1.1
ॐ सुकेशा च भारद्वाजः शैब्यश्च सत्यकामः सौर्यायणी
च गार्ग्यः कौसल्यश्चाश्वलायनो भार्गवो वैदर्भिः कबन्धी
कात्यायनस्ते हैते ब्रह्मपरा ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः परं
ब्रह्मान्वेषमाणा एष ह वै तत्सर्वं वक्ष्यतीति ते ह
समित्पाणयो भगवन्तं पिप्पलादमुपसन्नाः ॥ १.१ ॥
Om. Sukeśā, Bhāradvāja, Śaibya Satyakāma, Sauryāyaṇī Gārgya, Kauśalya Āśvalāyana, Bhārgava Vaidarbhi, and Kabandhī Kātyāyana — all of them devoted to brahman, established in brahman, and seeking the supreme brahman, thought, "He will tell us all of it," and with firewood in their hands they approached the venerable Pippalāda.
Praśna 1.2
तन् ह स ऋषिरुवच भूय एव तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया
संवत्सरं संवत्स्यथ
यथाकामं प्रश्नान् पृच्छत यदि विज्ञास्यामः सर्वं ह वो
वक्ष्याम इति ॥ १.२ ॥
That sage said to them: "Dwell once more for a year in austerity, celibate discipline, and faith. Ask whatever questions you wish. If we know, we will tell you everything."
Praśna 1.3
अथ कबन्धी कत्यायन उपेत्य पप्रच्छ ।
भगवन् कुते ह वा इमाः प्रजाः प्रजायन्त इति ॥ १.३ ॥
Then Kabandhī Kātyāyana approached and asked, "Venerable one, from where indeed are these creatures born?"
Praśna 1.4
तस्मै स होवाच प्रजाकामो वै प्रजापतिः स तपोऽतप्यत
स तपस्तप्त्वा स मिथुनमुत्पादयते ।
रयिं च प्रणं
चेत्येतौ मे बहुधा प्रजाः करिष्यत इति ॥ १.४ ॥
He said to him: "Prajāpati, desiring offspring, performed austerity. Having performed austerity, he produced a pair: matter (rayi) and breath of life (prāṇa), thinking, 'These two will make creatures for me in many ways.'"
Praśna 1.5
आदित्यो ह वै प्राणो रयिरेव चन्द्रमा रयिर्वा एतत्
सर्वं यन्मूर्तं चामूर्तं च तस्मान्मूर्तिरेव रयिः ॥ १.५ ॥
Indeed the sun is prāṇa, and the moon is rayi. All that is embodied and unembodied is rayi; therefore the embodied is rayi.
Praśna 1.6
अथादित्य उदयन्यत्प्राचीं दिशं प्रविशति तेन प्राच्यान्
प्राणान् रश्मिषु सन्निधत्ते ।
यद्दक्षिणां यत् प्रतीचीं
यदुदीचीं
यदधो यदूर्ध्वं यदन्तरा दिशो यत् सर्वं प्रकाशयति
तेन सर्वान् प्राणान् रश्मिषु सन्निधत्ते ॥ १.६ ॥
Then the sun, rising, enters the eastern quarter; by that he places the eastern breaths in its rays. Whatever illumines the south, the west, the north, what is below, above and between the quarters, all of it, by that he places all the breaths in the rays.
Praśna 1.7
स एष वैश्वानरो विश्वरुपः प्राणोऽग्निरुदयते ।
तदेतदृचाऽभ्युक्तम् ॥ १.७ ॥
He, this Vaiśvānara, of all forms, the vital breath, rises as fire. On this a verse has been declared.
Praśna 1.8
विश्वरूपं हरिणं जातवेदसं
परायणं ज्योतिरेकं तपन्तम् ।
सहस्ररश्मिः शतधा वर्तमानः
प्राणः प्रजानामुदयत्येष सूर्यः ॥ १.८ ॥
The all-formed, golden, all-knowing, supreme refuge, the one light, the heater, thousand-rayed, abiding in a hundred ways, the breath of creatures — this sun rises.
Praśna 1.9
संवत्सरो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्यायने दक्षिणं चोत्तरं च ।
तद्ये ह वै तदिष्टापूर्ते कृतमित्युपासते ते चान्द्रमसमेव
लोकमभिजयन्ते ।
त एव पुनरावर्तन्ते तस्मादेत ऋषयः
प्रजाकामा दक्षिणं प्रतिपद्यन्ते ।
एष ह वै रयिर्यः
पितृयाणः ॥ १.९ ॥
The year is Prajāpati; its two paths are the southern and the northern. Those who worship, holding that sacrifice and charitable works have been performed, win only the lunar world, and they return again. Therefore these seers who desire offspring take the southern path. This is the material path, the path of the fathers (pitṛyāṇa).
Praśna 1.10
अथोत्तरेण तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया
विद्ययाऽऽत्मानमन्विष्यादित्यमभिजयन्ते ।
एतद्वै
प्राणानामायतनमेतदमृतमभयमेतत् परायणमेतस्मान्न
पुनरावर्तन्त इत्येष निरोधस्तदेष श्लोकः ॥ १.१० ॥
But by the northern path—through austerity, celibate discipline, faith, and knowledge, having sought the ātman—they win the sun. This is the abode of the vital breaths; this is the immortal, the fearless, this is the highest goal. From it they do not return again—this is the restraint (nirodha). On this there is this verse.
Praśna 1.11
पञ्चपादं पितरं द्वादशाकृतिं
दिव आहुः परे अर्धे पुरीषिणम् ।
अथेमे अन्य उ परे विचक्षणं
सप्तचक्रे षडर आहुरर्पितमिति ॥ १.११ ॥
The father with five feet and twelve forms, full of waters in the far half beyond the sky, they call him. And these other wise men call him the one with seven wheels and six spokes, fixed within it.
Praśna 1.12
मासो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्य कृष्णपक्ष एव रयिः
शुक्लः प्रणस्तस्मादेत ऋषयः शुक्ल इष्टं कुर्वन्तीतर
इतरस्मिन् ॥ १.१२ ॥
The month is Prajāpati; its dark fortnight is indeed the material (rayi), and the bright fortnight is the vital breath (prāṇa). Therefore these seers perform sacrifice in the bright fortnight, and the others in the other.
Praśna 1.13
अहोरात्रो वै प्रजापतिस्तस्याहरेव प्राणो रात्रिरेव रयिः
प्राणं वा एते प्रस्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या संयुज्यन्ते
ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्यद्रात्रौ रत्या संयुज्यन्ते ॥ १.१३ ॥
Day and night are indeed Prajāpati. His day is the prāṇa, and his night is rayi (matter). Those who unite in sexual union by day let the prāṇa flow away. To unite in sexual union at night is brahmacarya.
Praśna 1.14
अन्नं वै प्रजापतिस्ततो ह वै तद्रेतस्तस्मादिमाः प्रजाः
प्रजायन्त इति ॥ १.१४ ॥
Food indeed is Prajāpati. From it that seed (retas) arises, and therefore these creatures are born.
Praśna 1.15
तद्ये ह वै तत् प्रजापतिव्रतं चरन्ति ते मिथुनमुत्पादयन्ते ।
तेषामेवैष ब्रह्मलोको येषां तपो ब्रह्मचर्यं येषु सत्यं
प्रतिष्टितम् ॥ १.१५ ॥
Those who observe that vow of Prajāpati produce a pair. This brahma-world belongs to those in whom there is tapas and brahmacarya, and in whom truth is established.
Praśna 1.16
तेषामसौ विरजो ब्रह्मलोको न येषु जिह्ममनृतं न
माया चेति ॥ १.१६ ॥
That stainless brahma-world belongs to those in whom there is no crookedness, no falsehood, and no māyā.